1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle fitting structure of a packaging box for accommodating, for example, cakes or a potted plant, and more particularly to a fitting structure of a bandlike handle to a box body of a packaging box formed by engaging both ends of the handle to opposite positions of the box body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, for a packaging box which is handed to a customer at the store front or the like by accommodating cakes, candies, small items, or the like, it has been customary to provide a handle for ease of carrying the box. In such a case, a bandlike handle made of paper or synthethic resin with certain degree of rigidity has been used in order to keep a predetermined shape of the handle while the box is being carried. Moreover, the handle is arranged to be fitted to the box as need arises with a structure such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to enable its attachment to the box. Namely, the fitting structure of the handle is formed by protrusively providing a pair of projections for engaging 2 and 2 at the upper ends of the opposite positions of the side walls of a box body 1, and by engaging both ends of a bandlike handle 3 with the respective projections 2. In this case, there is formed an inwardly bent engaging hook 4 on each end of the handle 3, and on each of the projections 2 there is provided a horizontal slit 5 with a breadth substantially corresponding to the band breadth for inserting the tip of the hook 4 therethrough. The hook 4 is passed through the slit 5 and engaged thereto, as shown in FIG. 1.
The handle fitting structure as described in the above is convenient in that it is possible to attach the handle 3 to the box as needed at the store front or the like to hand it to a customer. However, in such a conventional structure, the projections 2 have been cumbersome due, for example, to their breakage caused by the mishandling of the box, in addition to the necessity of providing the projections 2 which protrude from the top surface of the box body 1, which makes the box structure more complex. Furthermore, stacking of the boxes is impossible due to the presence of the projections 2, and moreover, there is a drawback that the handle 3 tends to be disengaged when its ends are lowered downwardly for some reason.
Moreover, ina structure like in the above, the hooking part of the hook 4 and the slit 5 on the projection 2 are engaged with each other by making a contact along a horizontal line, so that when the handle 3 is carried together with other baggages, for example, the body of the box 1 is inclined corresponding to the inclination of the handle 3 with respect to the vertical direction, giving rise to a drawback that cakes, soft Japanese pastries, or the like held inside the box undergo a deformation.
Still further, as a packaging box for accommodating a potted plant or the like, there is known one which is obtained by cutting open the top lid of a box body 1 as shown in FIG. 1, accommodating a pot, and stuffing the space between the outer periphery of the pot and the side walls of the box body with paddings like newspaper sheets.
However, in addition to the persistance of the above-mentioned problems in this kind of packaging box for potted plants, there used to be a problem that the branches, leaves, and the like are damaged by the bandlike handle 3, when the branches, leaves, and flowers of a potted plant extend beyond the outer periphery of the pot, deteriorating the original appearance of the plant.